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UA Education Hall of Fame adds five members

A retired university president and retired state school board member are among five people inducted into the University of Alabama College of Education Hall of Fame. They were honored for their outstanding contributions to education in Alabama and their admirable character.

The 2023 inductees are retired Huntsville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Mary Jane Caylor; retired Jacksonville State University President Dr. William Meehan; late K-12 and higher education leader Dr. Jodi Newton; creator and host of “Discovering Alabama” Dr. Douglas Phillips; and retired Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education Secretary Jeana Ross.

Caylor, a four-term member of the Alabama State Board of Education, was named superintendent of the year by the Alabama Council of PTAs. She was also named a state finalist for Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators.

Meehan was president of Jacksonville State University for 16 years of a 47-year career at the university.

Newton was superintendent of Homewood City Schools for more than 10 years and served  as president of the Alabama Association of School Administrators. Newton was named Alabama Superintendent of the Year in 2003.

Phillips is the creator and host of the Emmy award-winning show “Discovering Alabama.” The show has been on air for close to 40 years and is the longest-running, most popular locally produced show on Alabama Public Television.

Ross has dedicated 26 years to public schools in the state as a teacher and an administrator. In 2012, she became secretary of the Department of Early Childhood Education. Under her leadership the department received consistent national recognition for excellence. In 2017, she was appointed to the Education Commission of States.

The UA College of Education Board of Advisers created the Hall of Fame in 2012. It was formed to honor and thank top level educators and large supporters of education for their contributions throughout the Yellowhammer State.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.

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